From: Emily
To: [anyone interested]
Subject: Darfur (please read!)
Time: 12/20/2006 at 10:18AM
Message
Hi Everybody,
I attended the meeting on Dec. 19 and, let me tell you, Mohamed Yahya touched our hearts. He is from Darfur, like the previous email said, and on one day in 1993 his whole village was burned, along with 49 others. He lost 21 close relatives, including his grandparents who were too disabled to flee and were burned alive and two of his brothers. Two of his sisters were also raped, which in that region is worse than death. Due to his thick accent I couldn't make out some of what he said, but as I understood it, he heard from his parents once, as he was away on holiday, and to this day has no idea what has happened to them and his siblings. This was in 1993!!! Most of us have only recently learned about Darfur/Sudan, but the war has been raging for decades. Since the Darfur Peace Agreement was enacted, the fighting and killing has actually escalated. In August of this year, Resolution 1706 was passed to further enforce the peace act and protect those who wish to help Darfurians; its purpose was given as: "Invites Consent of Sudanese Government; Authorizes Use of ‘All Necessary Means’ To Protect United Nations Personnel, Civilians under Threat of Physical Violence." Mohamed Yahya addressed the issue of asking the Sudanese government for consent as ridiculous, comparing it to asking a criminal if it's okay to stop him from committing his crimes.
When one woman asked what else could possibly be done besides fund-raising and writing letters, Yahya relayed the devastating truth that money is wonderful but essentially ends up in the hands of the Janjaweed; we provide food and shelter, and the militia in turn kills the refugees and takes these supplies. Money is still helpful for organizations that wish to aid Darfur, but writing to our President, Congressmen, and whoever else will listen is just as important. Too much attention has been placed on other areas of the world, and this genocide is going unpunished. We always think of the Holocaust, Rwanda, etc. and say "Never again," but what are we doing about Darfur?
I'm so glad I was able to hear Yahya speak and share his voice with you.
Thank You for reading!
Emily
P.S. For more information about Yahya's group, check out this website —> Damanga
